Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. EEnnrs's. or UTIOA, NEW YORK.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,834, datedOctober 10, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE H. FERRIss,of the city of Utica, in the countyof Oneida and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedBreeeh-Loading Gun, of which the lfollowin g is a specification l Figure1 is a side elevation of that part of the barrels and the break-ofi andthe breech of the gun which contains the devices for locking andunlocking the barrel and for resisting the longitudinal strain of thepowder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the center ofone barrel, and of a cartridge, embodying' my new iniprovenients, as tothe shape of its inside bottom and outside bottom cavity, and mypeculiar cone or nipple. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sec-l tionthrough the center of the rear half of a double-barrel gun between thebarrels, showingopenspective view of the cartridge and cone, showing theconcavity of the side and bottom of the cartridge to afford a hole forthe fingers, and the cone surrounded with a curb. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal vertical section of a barrel in whose rear end is placed acartridge, the sides of this cartridge, near its-rear end, being made ofan extraordinary thickness. V

A is the break-off and frame-work, of one solid piece, forming the baseat the breech o f the barrels. B B are the barrels lof the gun. O,Figs'. 1 and 4, is a pivoted bent lever forming alatch by catching overthe projection W. There is a slot, Z, in the break-off for the admissionof bent lever (l, and also to admit its play, Figs. land 4. D is alever, working on a fulcrum at T. One end of this lever D passes underthe rear end of bent lever O. The other end of the lever D is attached,by a pivot, to the upright thumb-piece' E, and is operated by saidthumb-piece. F is a frame, which supports the bent lever C, lever D,thumb-piece E, and spring P. This piece F is made separate from thebreak-od', so as to per :mit of easy removal for repairs, and so that aninjury to any of the parts supported by it will not require thesubstitution of anew break-oit. This spring Pis fastened at its rear endinto frame F by screw S, and operates by pressing upon the top of therear arm or limb of the bent lever C, and thus pressing forward thefront arm or limb of the said lever C. K is apiece extending along underthe .barrel or barrels, as will be hereii 1 after described. The frontend of this piece K extends downward and forms tl 1e tongue or center N(see Fig. 3) of a hinge. Through this tonguehin ge N, and parallel withthe barrel B, is vbored a hole, L, for the reception-of the ramrod. Therest of the bottom ot' piece K, between this hinge and lwhere theprojecting piece K begins, is grooved to admit `the ramrod. Upon the hinge-tongue N a shoulder at gis formed by cutting into the lower peripheryof N and toward its center. This tongue-hin ge N fits between two ears,R lt'. (See Figs. l and 4.) These ears R l are formed upon the front endof the frame-piece A, and are pivoted to the tongue N by pivot Q. Onthepiece A (see Fig. 4) between the ears, and on the center of the cavitywhich fits to the periphery of the tongue, is formed araised shoulder,O, which fits into the cavity g, Fig. 3. This stop-piece O prevents thebreech from lifting beyond a proper height. In the top of frame A isf'agroove, L, Y

corresponding to the groove L in K, to admit the ramrod. A part of therear end of the barrel B is cut away, as shown at It, (see Figsl and 3,)leaving a small projection or remnant of the barrel at the top andanother at the bottom.` This cutting away of the barrel is for thepurpose of admittin the fingers in drawing the cartridge, and thusacilitating the drawing of the cartridge. M, Fig. 5, is the cartridge,of which X, Fig. 2, is the inside cavity which receives the powder. Thebottom of this cavity X is made in the form of a basin or hollow cone.Vith this cavity in the bottom, when the cartridge is iired the slantingsides of this basinbottom gives the powder in the rear end of thecartridge an oblique direction forward, thereby assisting in propellingthe ball or charge forward, and also preventing at the rear end of thecartridge direct lateral pressure upon the sides of the barrel. The rearend of the cartridge is narrowed down by its sides and bottom being madeconcave, as shown at G, Figs. 2 and 5, for the purpose of giving astrong hold upon it for the fingers in withdrawing it from the barrelafter fire. H (see Figs. 1,2, and 5) is the percussion-cone or nipplescrewed into the cartridge, Fig. 2. This cone is surrounded by a curb toprotcct the cartridge from exploding when carried about. This curb isattached to the con'e independently of the cartridge. h (see Fig. 6) isa cartrid ge, peculiar in having the forward portion of the shell a amade. smaller in circumference and thinner in thickness than the rearend of said shell. This rear end is made of an extraordinary thickness.The front portion a a is joined to the thick rear part by a shoulder atb. This shoulder may be of any desirable shape; or the out.

side of said cartridge may taper from rear to front. Tl e diameter ofthe bore of this cartridge is the same from rear to front. The object ofmaking the sides of the cartridge at its rear end thick is to givestrength to a rifled cartridge Where the powder first explodes. Theobject in making the front end a of the shell thin is to allow thecartridge to expand and cut off the leakage of gas between its4 outsideand the inside of the barrel.

The mode in which my locking device operates is as follows: The breechbeing closed, when it is desired to unlock the barrels in order toinsert the cartridge the thumb-piece E is pressed down 5 E in turnpresses down lever D, and D, overcoming the spring P, lifts the rear endof bent lever C. Asthis rear end of lever C is lifted its frontend isbrought back, and thus releases the projecting catch W. The barrels arethen unlocked,

and sliding over catchW; the piece is then ready to be fired.

The lock of this gun is the ordinary lock of ordinary 4guns, with thisexception, that the striking end of the hammer is not hollowed out; but

has a slight projecting hub to strike the nipple ver D, pin T, and bentlever C, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. A cartridge, without reference toits interior shape, the bottom andsides only of which are cut away at or near its rear end, in a concaveor other form, so as to facilitate the grasping of the cartridge whilepermitting attachment of the nip ple upon its top near its rear end,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The recess R in the rear end of the barrel, to give room in drawingthe cartridge, substantially as herein described.

6. A curb surrounding a cone or nipple, provided with a slit for thepurpose of withdrawing the percussion-cap from the cone after-fire.

7. The' piece F, when made separate from the break-ofi or piece A, forthe purpose of holding the pivoted levers C and D.

GEORGE H. FERRISS. l -Witnesses WM. H. FISHER,

ABNER B. GARDNER. (18)

